TEAMWORK Leadership Institute

The training program, which incorporates a significant amount of sports-related material, includes a variety of exercises and discussion points. Facilitators lead awareness exercises that focus on self-identity and how we develop stereotypes that interfere with effective teamwork, and look at

ways athletic departments and student-athletes can provide better understanding on campus.

Sports-related videos are shown to stimulate discussion, and include interactive exercises prompting workshop participants to engage in discussion with each other on varied topics. Case studies are also used to provide real-life scenarios.

Each workshop is slightly different, depending on the needs of the organization. Some of the needs are discovered through interviews with department heads and some through a confidential TLI survey, which is distributed prior to the actual workshop. The surveys are analyzed by TLI staff, and that information is incorporated into the training curriculum.

The final step of the training is the most important: workshop leaders create an “action plan” to implement programs that celebrate racial diversity and reduce gender bias on campus and in their departments.

• Challenges that stem from prejudice, intolerance and poor communication can be proactively addressed in intelligent, safe and structured ways.
• Athletic administrators can anticipate, recognize and address problems inherent in diverse teams and staff.
• Diversity training is a principle means of assessing and responding to needs within a department on a campus.
• Training provides opportunities for diverse people to discover what they have in common.
• Instead of being divisive, differences in race, ethnicity and gender can serve as building blocks to strengthen the department.

The goals of the TLI workshops are to achieve the following:

• Increase the comfort level to talk about diversity.
• Create an environment where negative incidents are less likely to occur, thus building a foundation for improved cooperation, respect and understanding of co-workers.
• Provide a safe, participatory and confidential environment to address and understand a wide variety of complex diversity issues.
• Explore personal and institutional perspectives concerning diversity issues.
• Develop personal and institutional action plans that will consider and act upon the expressed statements related to the various dimensions of diversity.

2007-2009

Allegheny College
Atlantic Coast Conference
Auburn University
Austin College
Ball State University
Baylor University
C.W. Post/Long Island University
Canisius College
Carnegie Mellon University
Central Michigan University
Colonial Athletic Association
Dartmouth College
Eastern Illinois University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Frostburg State University
George Mason University
Georgia Tech
Great Northern Athletic Conference (GNAC)
Indiana University
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Kennesaw State University
Kenyon College
Long Beach State
Manchester College
Marysville College
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Missouri State University
Montana State University
Mount Olive College
Nazareth College
Nichols College
North Atlantic Conference
Notre Dame University
Nova Southeastern University
Oberlin College
Ohio Northern University
Ohio State University
Pine Manor University
Randolph College
Rensselaer Poly Tech
Saginaw Valley State
Southern Mississippi University
Southland Conference
Townsend University
University of Akron
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Central Florida
University of Hawaii
University of Mississippi
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina Asheville
University of North Carolina Wilmington
University of South Florida
University of Wisconsin Green Bay
University of Wisconsin Parkside
Utah State University
Valparaiso University
Virginia Tech
Western New Mexico University
Winston Salem State University

SENIOR FACILITATORS:
Nancy Kaplan, Associate VP for Academic Support Services and Student Development, St. John's University, and Director, NCAS Northeast Region
Tom Kowalski, President, The Transit Group, and Director, NCAS Midwest Region
Keith L. Lee, Chief Operating Officer, NCAS
Jeff O’Brien, Director, Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) National, NCAS
Robert Weathers, Associate Director for Outreach and Training Development, NCAS 

CONSULTANTS:
Jessica Bartter, Assistant Director for Communications and Marketing, NCAS
Mary Brunk, Assistant Director of Academic Services, Georgia Tech
Raymond Clayborn, Sports Consultant
Duane de Four, M.A., Freelance Educator & Marketing Consultant Specializing in Sexual Health, Gender Violence Prevention, Diversity and Marketing Campaign Development
Jana Doggett, Associate AD for External Operations, Utah State University
Chryste Gaines, Academic Advisor, Georgia Tech
Jerome Hall, Men’s Outreach Program Coordinator, Vera’s House
Roland Hooks, former NFL Player and Business Executive
Marchelle Lane, Director of Student-Athlete Development, UNC Chapel Hill
Theo Lemon, Football Coach, College of DuPage
Kelly Merhtens, Director of Athletics at UNC Wilmington
Sharon Smith-Mauney, Director of Multicultural Participation, USTA Northern California
Shannon Spriggs, Assistant Director, Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) National
Eric Rienecker, Academic Support Director, St. John’s University
Jaime Rivera, President, Youth Sports Network
Yun-Oh Whang, Sports Marketing Professor, University of Kansas